E A| B| C| D| E| F| G| H| I| J| K| L| M| N| O| P| Q| R| S| T| U| V| W| X| Y| Z| Numerical Listing| E-Mail (Electronic Mail) Any communications service that permits the electronic transmission and storage of messages and attached/enclosed files. E-Mail/Document Transfer The process of sending electronic mail and documents to users on midrange systems of the same supplier within the same logical network. E.164 The next-generation public network address, a 10-digit phone number with the freedom of choice in all digits that phone numbers will have in 1997. E1 The 2-Mbps level in the European digital hierarchy, roughly equivalent to North American T1, which is 1.544 Mbps. E3 The 34-Mbps level in the European digital hierarchy, roughly equivalent to North American T3, which is 44.74 Mbps. TOP OF PAGE EAM (Enterprisewide Asset Management) EAM is a systemic approach to managing IT assets, including IS department staff, and users, IT procurement teams, suppliers, facilities, hardware and software. Effective asset management must optimize the use and deployment of those assets, using a total cost of ownership approach when making IT investment decisions. The goals of asset management should be: 1) to optimize the utilization of all assets, 2) to lower operating costs, and 3) to enable effective IT risk management. EARS (Electronic Authoring and Routing System) Digital Equipment Corp. work-flow application built by DEC’s field organization using ALL-IN-1 mail and FMS, the forms system native to ALL-IN-1. EBCDIC (Extended Binary-Coded Decimal Interchange Code) A coded character set consisting of 8-bit coded characters. EBCDIC is the usual code generated by synchronous IBM devices. ECC (Error Correcting Code) The diagnostic code used to correct data storage errors and to isolate hardware failures. Based on a concept of simultaneous polynomial equations, the read-back process generates a "correction" profile that is exclusive-OR’ed over the incorrect data. All ECCs have a very small, but finite failure rate; that is, some uncorrectable errors will either appear as correctable or appear as having no error at all. In either situation, bad data is passed as verified and valid. ECL (Emitter-Coupled Logic) A type of bipolar (a category of chip design) transistor characterized by extremely fast switching speeds. ECMA (European Computer Manufacturers Association) A European standards-setting organization created to define international standards. TOP OF PAGE Economic Life The remaining period over which the property is expected to be economically usable with normal repairs and maintenance. Economic Order Quantity Economic order quantity (EOQ) is the fixed order quantity that is the amount of product to be purchased or manufactured at one time to minimize the total cost involved. EOQ includes the ordering costs (setup of machines, writing order, checking receipts) and carrying costs (cost of capital invested insurance, taxes, space, obsolescence and spoilage). EDA (Electronic Design Automation) The use of a computer to design and simulate performance of electronic circuits on a chip. Similar to Automatic Test Equipment, which tests primarily chips in electronic systems. EDA/SQL (Enterprise Data Architecture/Structured Query Language) A product by Information Builders Inc. EDA provides a common interface between a wide range of Structured Query Language (SQL) programs and SQL databases. Queries on data from different types of databases can be queried simultaneously using EDA. EDD (Electronic Document Distribution) Distribution of information without the use of paper. The goal is to enable viewers to actively interact with a document, directing the document to display information upon request. The complexity of this task is compounded by the addition of media unsupported by print (sound, view, animation). EDD market problems are twofold, limiting technology and lack of acceptance by end users. EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) The electronic transfer of preformatted business documents, such as purchase orders and bills of lading, between trading partners. EDIF (Electronic Data Interchange Format) A standard for defining the exchange of electronic net list data. TOP OF PAGE EDIFACT (Electronic Data Interchange For Administration Commerce and Transport) The International Standards Organization standard for EDI designed to supersede X12 and Tradacoms as a worldwide standard, enabling users to interconnect with another organization’s network regardless of equipment used. Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) A system for managing electronic documents. EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) The transfer of money between accounts or organizations electronically. EGW (Edge Gateway) The perimeter switching technology that offers users the interface to a variety of virtual public data services. EIA (Enterprise Information Architecture) Enterprise-specific definition of rules defining the use of middleware in third-generation office systems. The EIA rules include both application programming interfaces and protocols addressing both interoperability and portability of applications, whether acquired or developed internally. The EIA is a living specification requiring constant management and regular review for enhancement. TOP OF PAGE EIM (Enterprise Information Management) We believe EIM is the appropriate architecture management approach for resolving the architectural crisis within office information system implementations. EIM is a tool for strategic planning comprising the Enterprise Information Architecture (EIA) and a set of strategic IS management practices. By applying EIM to their enterprises, users will be able to migrate from the incompatible systems of the 1980s to the interoperable systems of the 1990s. EIS (Executive Information System) An application program specifically designed for use by the corporate executive. Presentation of material is often structured after the "board briefing book" concept. Detailed information on the summarized charts is often made available by using a concept known as "drilling." EMA (Electronic Mail Association) Organization for users and vendors involved in electronic messaging and information exchange that focuses on issues of privacy, security, interconnection and standards. Electronic Marketspace A network service shared by multiple individuals and enterprises, where information about products and services is shared electronically among enterprises, and where said products or services may be purchased without the aid of voice or paper-based exchanges (e.g., Internet, membership based on-line services, bulletin boards, interconnected private networks and value-added third-party networks). EMA (Electronic Messaging Association) An Arlington, Vir.-based electronic mail industry organization, with 50 percent end-user membership. Has played a role in bringing together various application programming interface factions to develop the Common Mail Call specification. EMS (Enterprise Messaging Server) Former name for Microsoft Exchange, an enterprisewide messaging and mail system. Rolled into Exchange, it and other planned products will ship as a single system: a work-group-focused, enterprise-scoped platform for standards-based messaging, groupware, work flow, document management and "information exchange" through a single, multimedia mailbox. TOP OF PAGE EN (End Node) A node that only sends and receives information and cannot route and forward information to another node. Engineering Change A revision to a parts list, bill of material, engineering drawing or engineering part model authorized by the engineering department. Changes are usually identified by a control number and are made for safety, cost reduction, or functionality reasons. To effectively implement engineering changes, all affected functions should review and agree to the changes, e.g., the materials, quality assurance, assembly engineering, and other departments. Also called ECO (engineering change order) or ECN (engineering change notice). Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) A concept developed by Gartner Group describing the next generation of manufacturing business systems and manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) software. It will include the client/server architecture, use graphical user interfaces and be crafted with open systems. Beyond the standard functionality that is offered, other features are included, e.g., quality, process operations management, and regulatory reporting. In addition, the base technology used in ERP will give users both software and hardware independence as well as an easy upgrade path. Key to ERP is the way in which users can tailor the application so it is intrinsically easy to use. Enterprise Systems Connectivity (ESCON) A high-speed fiber-optic serial channel for IBM’s ES/9000 processors announced in September 1990. ESCON was initially based in part on a fiber-optic link operating at a speed of 200 Mbits per second regardless of the driver light source, but has been driven much faster. EPSCS (Enhanced Private Shared Communications Service) EPSCS is a service designed to provide customized private communications to customers. Switching centers are located on telephone company premises and may be shared with other EPSCS customers or other telephone company services. Private line channels between switching centers and a customer’s premise are dedicated to specific customers. TOP OF PAGE Erasable Optical Storage Device Capable of being rewritten, either after bulk erasure or spot erasure. ESA (Enterprise Systems Architecture) ESA/370 is IBM’s System/370 extended architecture for the 3090 and 4381 processors, and is supported by MVS/ESA (Multiple Virtual Storage/ESA). The major ESA feature is the support of data spaces in addition to the program-and-data address spaces of System/370. ESD (Electronic Software Distribution) A means of installing software by transmitting it over a network. ESD is designed to help users distribute programs and files in their environments. The development of client/server applications has made ESD a critical requirement. Without an effective means of automating the distribution and installation of software, most applications of client/server technology will be nonviable. ESP (Enterprise Server Platform) An inherently distributable, multiply interoperable server engineered for use within the context of a larger information technology architecture. It transparently provides services to any authorized client. ESP is a collection of services that will enable enterprises to manage and leverage the benefits of personal, work-group and enterprise information processing resources. ESPRIT (European Strategic Program for Research and Development of Information Technology) An R&D program funded by the European Community that was chartered to create a technology base for development of products, processes and services for European companies in an effort to gain world information-market share. Ethernet A baseband local-area network developed by Xerox Corp. It has a bus topology with CSMA/CD (carrier sense multiple access with collision detection) access control. Ethernet is not identical to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.3. TOP OF PAGE Ethernet LAN Connect Connection from the midrange system to Macintoshes via Ethernet protocols. ETN (Electronic Tandem Network) A private telecommunications network in which calls are automatically switched over specific trunks. ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) The European counterpart to the American National Standards Institute chartered to help pave the way for telecommunications integration in the European Community. Expert System A software system that consists of two basic components: a knowledge base and an inference engine. The system mimics the reasoning process of an expert. A knowledge-based system is sometimes also referred to as an expert system. Explicit Input The definition of model dimensions using explicit numbers as opposed to variables. Explosion An extension of a bill of material into the total of each of the components required to manufacture a given quantity of upper-level assembly or subassembly. TOP OF PAGE Extended Super Frame (ESF) AT&T’s and Bell Communications Research’s (different) framing standards that improve networking performance monitoring. Extranet Extranets represent the extension of the internal web infrastructure to include business partners and other trusted organizations external to the implementing organization. Extranets allow these external groups access to protected applications and services supported by an existing intranet. Comments? Questions? Entire contents Copyright © 1997, 1998 by Gartner Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. Please read the guidelines for customer use of GartnerGroup intellecual property.